Pill dispenser

ABSTRACT

A transparent container holds a supply of tablets, such as vitamin pills, the container having a hinged lid which is colorcoded to the type of pill. An ejector mechanism on the container is manually operated and ejects one pill at a time. By combining several units, a full spectrum of pill types is made readily available.

ilited States ate Skoetsch 1451 Sept. 11, 1973 1 PILL DISPENSER [76]Inventor: Paul B. S. Skoetsch, 1428 N.

Madison, Stockton, Calif. 95203 [22] Filed: Apr. 6, 1972 [21] Appl. No.:241,685

[52] US. Cl 221/202, 221/269, 221/270,

[51] Int. Cl B65h 7/00 [58] Field of Search 221/269, 270, 299, 2-21/202,204, 247, 268, 300

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,669,349 2/1954 Silver....221/269 1,715,498 6/1929 Gaston 221/269 Primary ExaminerRobert B. ReevesAssistant ExaminerH. Grant Skaggs, Jr. AttorneyRobert G. West et a1.

[57] ABSTRACT A transparent container holds a supply of tablets, such asvitamin pills, the container having a hinged lid which is color-coded tothe type of pill. An ejector mechanism on the container is manuallyoperated and ejects one pill at a time. By combining several units, afull spectrum of pill types is made readily available.

9 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures PILL DISPENSER The invention relates toimprovements in dispensers for storing and delivering tablets one at atime.

The patent literature as well as the market place are replete with pilldispensers of various kinds. However, the previous devices so far as isknown have required that the tablets be transferred to the dispenserfrom the original bottle by hand, thereby exposing the tablets to skinbacteria.

It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a pill dispenserwhich curbs product exposure to contamination.

It is another object of the invention to provide a pill dispenser whichis compact insize, yet which is capable of receiving and storing asubstantial number of tablets so that frequent refills are unnecessary.

It is yet another object of the invention to provide a pill dispenserwhich reliably delivers but one pill at a time.

It is still a further object of the invention to provide a pilldispenser in which the contents are visible at all times.

It is yet a further object of the invention to provide a pill dispenserwhich can be color-coded to indicate the type of tablets dispensedtherefrom.

It is another object of the invention to provide a generally improvedpill dispenser. I

Other objects, together with the foregoing, are attained in theembodiment described in the following description and illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. I is a top perspective view with a portion of the lid broken awayto reduce the extent of the figure and a side wall broken away to revealinterior details of construction;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary sectional view, to a considerably enlargedscale, showing the ejector mechanism in stand-by position, the plane ofthe section being indicated by the line 2--2 in FIG. 4; e

FIG. 3 is a view comparable to FIG. 2 but with the ejector in operatingposition;

FIG. 4 is a top plan view to a somewhat-enlarged scale and with the lidremoved;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken on the line 55 in FIG. 4; and,

FIG. 6 is a sectional view, taken on the plane indicated by the line 6-6in FIG. 4.

While the pill dispenser of the invention is susceptible of numerousphysical embodiments, depending upon the environment and requirements ofuse, substantial numbers of the herein shown and described embodimenthave been made, tested and used, and all have performed in an eminentlysatisfactory manner. a

The pill dispenser of the invention, generally designated by thereference numeral 11, includes a vertically I elongated container 12comprising a pair of side walls 13 and 14, a front end wall 15 and arear end wall 16. Preferably, the walls are fabricated of a clear,impact type plastic" for durability and visibility of the contents.

The four vertical walls define a vertically elongated I chamber 17divided for convenience into an upper storage chamber 18 (capable ofaccommodating the contents of a full bottle of pills plus an additional10 percent for the balance of pills left from the previous load) and alower pill orienting and aligning compartment 20.

The storage compartment 18 is maintained in sanitary condition bycovering it with a lid 19 suitably hinged, as at 21 and 22 on the upperedge of the rear wall 16, and snap-fastened in closed position to thecatch pin 23 on the upper edge of the front wall 15. Preferably, the lid19 is opaque and is colored to correspond to a given type of pill. Thus,at a glance, the user can determine the variety of pill available in thedispenser.

The pill supply in the storage compartment 18 is supported by aplurality of inwardly jutting inclined plates mounted on the interiorside of the four walls 13, 14, 15 and 16. The walls project inwardly atvarious angles and at various locations to define a multi-level floor,generally designated by the reference numeral 26, the floor 26 havingbut a single exit 27 for the pill reservoir area.

The various inclined plates forming the floor 26 include an inclined topplate 31 mounted on the inner side of the side wall 13 and spanningtheopposite end walls 15 and 16. The inclined top plate 31 extends aboutone-third of the way across the width of the chamber 17 and terminatesin an inner edge 32 which is somewhat skewed, in the sensethat the edge32 is farther at the rear end from the wall 13 than at the front end, asappears most clearly in FIG. 4. Depending from the inner edge 32 of thetop plate 31 is a first guide wall 33 extending vertically downwardlyand terminating in a bottom edge 34 which slopes in a downward directionfrom rear to front. The guide wall 33 serves in conjunction with theopposite side wall 73 to maintain the pills in upright attitude.

Mounted on the bottom edge 34 of the first guide wall 33 is a bottomramp 36 (see FIGS. 2, 3 and 6) spanning the opposite end walls 15 and16, in a fore and aft direction, the bottom ramp 36 serving to support aplurality of pills 37, 38, 39, 40 and 41 in rolling engagement.

The bottom ramp 36 is coplanar with the bottom wall 61 of the pilldischarge passageway 62 formed in the front wall 15. Thus, when asimilar sized port 63 in a vertically reciprocable carriage 64, or slideplate, of the ejector mechanism, generally designated by the referencenumeral 66, comes into register with the discharge passageway 62, theadjacent pill 37 is free to emerge from the ramp area and drop into thecatchment basin 68 mounted on the front end wall 15 so as to receive theejected pill 37 (seeFIG. 3).

Mounted on the inner surface of the side wall 14 is a second inclinedplate 71 spanning the opposite end walls 15 and 16, and arrangedapproximately in mirror symmetry with respect to the inclined top plate31, but at a lower elevation. Depending vertically from the lower, inneredge 72 of the inclined plate 71 is the second vertical guide wall 73,previouslY referred to, having mounted on its bottom edge 74 the bottomramp 36.

In other words, the first guide wall 33 and the second.

in aligned single file and in an upright attitude so that their bottomtangent edges are in rolling engagement with the bottom ramp 36 as theyare urged downwardly by gravity toward and out the discharge opening 62.

An upper ramp 77 having a slope which is reversely inclined with respectto the lower ramp 36, but at a similar degree of angularity, supportpills 43, 44, and 45 (see FIG. 2) in rolling engagement. The upper ramp77 guides the pills 43 45 downwardly through the'onepill-at-a-time exit27 defined by the forward edge 78 of a hood 84, or shield, and thesubjacent portion of the upper ramp 77. At the lower apex end 79 of theupper ramp 77, the upper channel 80 (defined by the upper ramp 77 andthe two vertical guide walls 33 and 73) merges with the beginning of thereversely sloping lower channel 76.

The hood 84 comprises a forwardly and downwardly sloping panel 83 whichmerges on one side with the inclined plate 31 and on the other side witha laterally sloping panel 81 (see FIGS. 1, 4 and 6). The hood 84 extendsforwardly from the rear end wall 16 and supports the superposed pills inthe vicinity of pills designated by reference numerals 48, 49 and 50.The slopes of the panels 81 and 83 slide forwardly and downwardly.

The panels 81 and 83, in other words, serve in conjunction with theinclined side plates 31 and 71 to funnel pills toward the one-at-a-timepill exit 27 leading down onto the upper ramp 77, around the lower endapex 79 of the upper ramp, and thence in a reverse direction down towardthe lower ramp 36, ultimately to be ejected one-at-a-time by the ejector66 through the discharge passageway 62 into the catch basin 68.

The funnel forming members 31, 71, 81 and 83 also serve, in combinationwith the subjacent spaced vertical side walls 33 and 73, on each side ofthe upper ramp 77, to tilt the pills into an upright attitude, i.e.,with their cylindrical axes horizontal. The upper portion of the upperchannel 80, for example, is wider than the lower portion, owing to thejob 85 formed in the side wall 73 (see FIG. 6), the jog helping todeflect the pills into upright attitude as they descend onto the upperramp 77, and subsequently roll down the ramp 77 and through the pilldoor 27, as previously described.

In order to agitate the reservoir of pills from time to time so as toprevent the pills from wedging and jamming, provision is made for avertically reciprocable agitator blade 91 mounted adjacent its forwardbottom edge on the upper sloping surface 88 of a ledge 86 projectingrearwardly from the vertically reciprocable carriage 64.

The carriage 64 itself slides in a suitable vertical recess 94 formed inthe rear face of the forward wall 15. From the top of the slide plate 64projects an operating tab 95 extending forwardly through a slot 89 inthe wall 15, the respective top and bottom walls 90 and 90a of the slot93 limiting the extent of vertical movement of the slide plate 64between the upper, stand-by position shown in FIG. 2 and the lower,operating position shown in FIG. 3. Helping to confine the slide plate64 in its recessed track 94 is a cover plate 96 enclosing the upperportion of the slide plate 64. The lower end of the slide plate 64 isguided by the forward end of the ramp 36.

The vertical agitator blade 91 moves up and down partly in a narrow foreand aft slot 92 formed in the hood 84 and partly in the space adjacentthe vertical guide wall 73. Each time the ejector 66 is actuated, thepill supply in the vicinity of the blade 91 is agitated,

with the result that pills do not become lodged or jammed. Atriangular-shaped corner filling plate located in the corner formed bythe intersection of the ledge 86, the blade 91 and the slide plate 64assists in the dislodging effect and adds to the funnel effect of theadjacent inclined plates and panels.

As appears most clearly in FIGS. 2 and 3, downward movement of theejector 66 is opposed by upward urgency of a leaf spring 101 suitablymounted, as by an adhesive, at its after end 103, on the wall 16, andextending forwardly with a forward, upturned tip end 102 engaging thelower end of the slide plate 4, thereby urging the ejector 66 intoupper, stand-by position.

As the operating tab is urged downwardly, the ledge 86 on the slideplate 64 depresses the tip 98 of a vertical pill-separating and ejectingblade 97. The blade 97 is movable downwardly through a registering slot99 in the sloping ceiling panel 100 covering the top of the lowerchannel 76.

As canbe seen most clearly in FIGS. 2 and 3, the pointed, downwardlyprojecting blade tip 98 impinges against the upper left quadrant of theleading pill 37 very near its area of tangency with the succeeding pill38. The combination of the blade tip 98 and the adjacent arcuate cammingportion 60, curving upwardly and forwardly, has the effect of firstseparating and then cammingly urging the pill 37 down the ramp andthrough the port 63 of the slide plate 64 and the registering downwardlyinclined passageway 62 into the catch basin 68.

The dimensions and relative locations of the operating surfaces of thetip 98, the blade 97, the port 63 and the passageway 62 are such thatregistry of the port 63 and the passageway 62 occur substantiallysimultaneously with the actuation of the separator-ejector member 97:

As the separated and ejected pill 37 drops into the basin 68, the tab 95is released by the user and the ejector mechanism 66 turns upwardly tostand-by basis. As the ledge 86 returns upwardly, the pills 45, 46 and47 (which earlier followed the depressed ledge downwardly into the well70 defined by the ledge surface 88 and the boundary wall 75 (as in FIG.3)) are biased upwardly into their approximate original position, asindicated in FIG. 2. The up and down motion of the pills 4547, each timethe ejector is actuated, cooperates with the vertical reciprocatingagitator blade 91 to dislodge any pills which might' have become jammedagainst any of the surrounding surfaces.

It can therefore be seen that I have provided a pill dispenser whichoperates effectively not only with pills which are spherical in shape,but also with cylindrical tablets wherein the diameter exceeds the axiallength, i.e., the thickness.

By using a plurality of individual dispensers side by side, each withits own color coding on the lid, on the operating tab, or, if preferred,on both lid and tab, an efficient array of a full spectrum of pills isafforded the user.

I claim:

1. A pill dispenser comprising:

a. a container having a pair of vertical side walls and a pair ofvertical end walls defining a vertically elongated chamber;

b. a plurality of plates mounted on said walls and projecting into saidchamber to form a floor capable of supporting a plurality of circulardisc shaped pills superposed thereon, said floor including an exitdimensioned so as to pass only one pill at a time therethrough, saidfloor plates being inclined to funnel the superposed pills toward theexit;

c. a pair of spaced vertically depending-guide walls located on eachside of the exit, said pair of guide walls being spaced apart a distanceslightly in excess of the thickness of the pills for guiding pillsemerging from the exit one at a time into upright attitude;

d. an inclined ramp spanning said pair of walls and forming therewith achannel extending from the exit in said floor angularly downwardly toterminate adjacent a pill discharge opening in one of said end walls,said channel having a width defined by said guide walls and being suchas to maintain the pills emergent one at a time from the exit in singlefile and in an upright attitude so that the bottom tangent edges of thepills are in rolling engagement with the surface of said inclined rampas the aligned pills are urged by gravity from the floor exit toward thedischarge opening;

e. a vertically reciprocable' carriage translatably mounted on said oneof said end walls, said carriage including ejector means for cyclicallysepa rating and delivering the lowermost pill on said ramp through thedischarge opening, said carriage being movable between a first upperpill retaining position and a second lower pill ejecting position, saidcarriage including a pill discharge port in registry with said dischargeopening in said second lower position of said carriage; and,

f. pill agitator means mounted on said carriage for reciprocationtherewith, said agitator means being located adjacent the exit of saidfloor for jostling the adjacent pills superposed on said floor in eachcycle of operation of said ejector means.

2. A pill dispenser as in claim 1 wherein said inclined ramp includes afirst, downwardly sloping run extend ing from the exit to a locationadjacent the other of said end walls; and a second, downwardly slopingrun extending from the lower end of said first run adjacent thedischarge opening in said one of said end'walls.

3. A pill dispenser as in claim 1 wherein each of said plates is mountedat a different height on said walls to form a multi-level floor.

4. A pill dispenser as in claim 1 in which said pill agitator meansincludes a vertical blade having a portion thereof located adjacent theexit and between said pair of guide walls in substantially parallelrelation thereto, said portion of said blade being disposed adjacent oneof said pair of guide walls to define a vertical passageway between saidblade and the other of said pair of guide walls, the width of thepassageway between said blade and said other of said pair of guide wallsbeing slightly less in excess of the thickness of a pill, said bladebeing thereby effective to'engage and tilt the adjacent pills intoupright attitude in each cycle of opera tion of said ejector means.

5. A pill dispenser as in claim 4 in which said agitator means includesa sloping ledge mounted on the bottom of said blade and inclined towardthe floor exit, said ledge being effective to urge pills downwardlythrough the passageway between said blade and said other of said pair ofguide walls and through the floor exit.

6. A pill dispenser as in claim 4 including biasing means mounted onsaid container for urging said carriage from said second lower positiontoward said first upp r position; and limit stop means to determine thev extent of movement of said carriage between saidfirst position andsaid second position and to effect registry between said pill dischargeport in said carriage and said pill discharge opening in said one ofsaid end walls.

7. A pill dispenser as in claim 6 wherein said carriage includes a pillengaging cam having a tip portion extending toward the point of tangencybetween a leading pill located at the lower end of said channel and theadjacent pill up-channel therefrom, said tip being capable ofrestraining the advance of said adjacent pill as said carriage is urgedinto said second lower position with said pill discharge port inregistry with said discharge opening, said tip portion having an arcuateportion capable of engaging and biasing said leading pill outwardlythrough said port and said opening when said port and said opening arein registry. I

8. A pill dispenser as in claim 7 including a lid provided with anindicium capable of identifying the type of pill within said container.

9. A plurality of pill dispensers as in claim 8 in which each of theindicia is a different color which is coded to the contents.

1. A pill dispenser comprising: a. a container having a pair of verticalside walls and a pair of vertical end walls defining a verticallyelongated chamber; b. a plurality of plates mounted on said walls andprojecting into said chamber to form a floor capable of supporting aplurality of circular disc shaped pills superposed thereon, said floorincluding an exit dimensioned so as to pass only one pill at a timetherethrough, said floor plates being inclined to funnel the superposedpills toward the exit; c. a pair of spaced vertically depending guidewalls located on each side of the exit, said pair of guide walls beingspaced apart a distance slightly in excess of the thickness of the pillsfor guiding pills emerging from the exit one at a time into uprightattitude; d. an inclined ramp spanning said pair of walls and formingtherewith a channel extending from the exit in said floor angularlydownwardly to terminate adjacent a pill discharge opening in one of saidend walls, said channel having a width defined by said guide walls andbeing such as to maintain the pills emergent one at a time from the exitin single file and in an upright attitude so that the bottom tangentedges of the pills are in rolling engagement with the surface of saidinclined ramp as the aligned pills are urged by gravity from the floorexit toward the discharge opening; e. a vertically reciprocable carriagetranslatably mounted on said one of said end walls, said carriageincluding ejector means for cyclically separating and delivering thelowermost pill on said ramp through the discharge opening, said carriagebeing movable between a first upper pill retaining position and a secondlower pill ejecting position, said carriage including a pill dischargeport in registry with said discharge opening in said second lowerposition of said carriage; and, f. pill agitator means mounted on saidcarriage for reciprocation therewith, said agitator means being locatedadjacent the exit of said floor for jostling the adjacent pillssuperposed on said floor in each cycle of operation of said ejectormeans.
 2. A pill dispenser as in claim 1 wherein said inclined rampINCLUDES a first, downwardly sloping run extending from the exit to alocation adjacent the other of said end walls; and a second, downwardlysloping run extending from the lower end of said first run adjacent thedischarge opening in said one of said end walls.
 3. A pill dispenser asin claim 1 wherein each of said plates is mounted at a different heighton said walls to form a multi-level floor.
 4. A pill dispenser as inclaim 1 in which said pill agitator means includes a vertical bladehaving a portion thereof located adjacent the exit and between said pairof guide walls in substantially parallel relation thereto, said portionof said blade being disposed adjacent one of said pair of guide walls todefine a vertical passageway between said blade and the other of saidpair of guide walls, the width of the passageway between said blade andsaid other of said pair of guide walls being slightly less in excess ofthe thickness of a pill, said blade being thereby effective to engageand tilt the adjacent pills into upright attitude in each cycle ofoperation of said ejector means.
 5. A pill dispenser as in claim 4 inwhich said agitator means includes a sloping ledge mounted on the bottomof said blade and inclined toward the floor exit, said ledge beingeffective to urge pills downwardly through the passageway between saidblade and said other of said pair of guide walls and through the floorexit.
 6. A pill dispenser as in claim 4 including biasing means mountedon said container for urging said carriage from said second lowerposition toward said first upper position; and limit stop means todetermine the extent of movement of said carriage between said firstposition and said second position and to effect registry between saidpill discharge port in said carriage and said pill discharge opening insaid one of said end walls.
 7. A pill dispenser as in claim 6 whereinsaid carriage includes a pill engaging cam having a tip portionextending toward the point of tangency between a leading pill located atthe lower end of said channel and the adjacent pill up-channeltherefrom, said tip being capable of restraining the advance of saidadjacent pill as said carriage is urged into said second lower positionwith said pill discharge port in registry with said discharge opening,said tip portion having an arcuate portion capable of engaging andbiasing said leading pill outwardly through said port and said openingwhen said port and said opening are in registry.
 8. A pill dispenser asin claim 7 including a lid provided with an indicium capable ofidentifying the type of pill within said container.
 9. A plurality ofpill dispensers as in claim 8 in which each of the indicia is adifferent color which is coded to the contents.